


The Waiting Game

by Katalina_Riddle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 20:58:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13959882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katalina_Riddle/pseuds/Katalina_Riddle
Summary: Theo and Millicent are not a match made in heaven, but they've always worked it out. But Millicent has had enough. Can they get through this problem, or is this the end of the road?





	The Waiting Game

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kaarina_Riddle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaarina_Riddle/gifts), [SandraSempra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandraSempra/gifts).



> For KR and SS, the two nutcases who pushed me to do this pairing...hope I did it justice for you guys!
> 
> KR my best beta, love you Twinnie!
> 
> The characters in this story are the creation of JK Rowling and the property of Bloomsbury, and no copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

 

 

“Get the  _ hell out of my house. _ ” Millicent never raised her voice, and this was no exception; but hidden in that quiet, low tone was a menacing strength that dared defiance. Her eyes were burning holes through Theo and her skin had turned a deep shade of scarlet. This was one too many times. He was bad for her; and yet she kept on coming back to him.  _ Why did she always fall for the bad boy?  _ She wasn’t going to take it anymore. This would be the last time he would hurt her.

Theo had attempted to open the front door of Millicent’s apartment quietly, in the hope that she wouldn’t wake. He felt guilty; he always felt guilty. He did love her.  _ He did _ . And he knew she hated it when he came home drunk. He knew he  _ owed _ her more of his time, but the distractions of alcohol and drinking buddies proved too strong. As he had turned the key in the door, he was faced with a seemingly possessed Millicent.  “Milli, please, I can explain.” But he knew he couldn’t.

She stood there, willing him to have a decent explanation as to why he stank of alcohol and tobacco smoke, but knowing this would be the same as it had always been. He had no explanation. He had a problem and wouldn’t acknowledge it. Theo’s handsome face dropped when he realised he couldn’t explain.

“I’m sorry, Milli.  _ I’m sorry. _ ” She just looked at him with a fierce expression etched over her features.

“Get the  _ hell out of my house. _ ” An ugly scowl moved over Theo’s face. Now he was angry. She couldn’t treat him like that. He would show her.

He grabbed her arm forcefully and drew himself up to his full height, towering over her menacingly. “I’m not going anywhere, love. And  _ you can’t make me. _ ”

This was how it always went. Theo would come home drunk and apologetic. She would stand up for herself. He would hurt her. Enough was enough. “Oh yes, Theo. Oh yes I  _ can _ make you.” She wrenched her arm free from his tightening grip and walked to the bedroom they shared. She grabbed armfuls of Theo’s things and marched to the front door, then dumped all his belongings unceremoniously in the front garden. “Now, Theo.  _ Get. Out. _ ”

Theo couldn’t see straight. He stumbled over his feet on the way to the door. The anger had dissipated, and all that was left was complete emptiness and sorrow. He dropped to his knees at the door and faced her. “Please Milli, don’t do this. Let me stay.  _ I love you _ .” 

Tears gathered in Millicent’s eyes and it took all her strength to whisper, “I love you too, Theo. But sometimes it isn’t enough. You need to get help. We’re done.”

Millicent had slammed the door in his face. He stood there stunned, unsure of what to do next, surrounded by his possessions thrown all over the front garden. Theo collected his things and put them in a bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm on it, and began walking away from the house. He would have apparated if he could trust himself not to splinch. He walked for hours, the cold night air fresh on his face. Sobriety would hit soon. And when it did, he would feel nothing but regret.

Millicent sat on the floor, her back against the wall, clutching her knees and crying her heart out. This time it was really over. No one could ever call Millicent Bulstrode pretty, but she was certainly striking, with irregular features, brilliant eyes and curves in all the right places. Theo had called her beautiful. She never believed him, but he always insisted she was. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have a wonderful man like Theo. But then the drinking had started, and every night he came home more and more intoxicated; and every night she would forgive him. Her heart broke for him; and for herself. She sat against the wall and cried the hours away until the sun came up.

Theo was sober now. The fresh air mixed with sunlight had done wonders. But the regret was too much for him to bare. In his mind, there was only one solution. He needed to forget.  _ Just one drink.  _ He tried to convince himself one was enough; but one was never enough. He sat at the bar of an unfamiliar pub and drowned his sorrows. It felt better. He stayed all day.

_ I need a drink.  _ Millicent had dressed herself presentably and dragged herself out of the house in the late hours of the afternoon. She didn’t need much to drink, just something to calm her nerves. She remembered a quaint little pub she had seen when she had apparated to the home of Draco and Astoria Malfoy.  _ I’ll try there first. _

Theo looked up from the bar, his eyes taking a while to adjust to the light. There, standing in the doorway, staring at him in horror, was…no. It couldn’t be. He blinked hard and opened his eyes again, but she was still there. “ _ Milli,”  _ he breathed. 

Her eyes stared back at him full of tears mingled with disappointment. He heard her say, “Come on, Theo. Let’s get you home.” He allowed himself to be pulled off the bar stool and led by the hand out of the pub.

He felt himself begin to fall. “Dizzy,” he gasped. Millicent sat beside him on the curb on the quiet roadside and forced his head to his knees.

“Breathe, Theo.  _ Just breathe.” _

Why was this happening? He was the last person she had wanted to see. He had broken her heart and taken her happiness, and now she was the one helping him again. She wasn’t strong enough for both of them. He was a pathetic sight, and she felt her chest constrict. She couldn’t leave him. “Oh, Theo,” she whispered, “why must it always end like this?” Theo looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

As the pair sat together on the roadside in silence, a feeling of uneasiness fell over Millicent. She lifted her head and adjusted her eyes to the darkness, looking furtively around. “Theo,” she whispered, “Theo, I need you to stand up now. Come on. We have to go.” Theo grunted in response, still completely lacking in special awareness. Millicent’s voice grew urgent and panicked. “Theo. Get up. We have to go  _ now. _ ”

Theo heard the frightened tremor in Millicent’s voice and looked up. He had always known when she was feeling vulnerable and frightened. He grabbed the small but surprisingly strong hand that she offered him and used her as an anchor to pull himself up. He leaned on her to maintain some sort of vertical position. “Alright Milli. Let’s go now.” His words were slurred and his mind unclear, but at least he was standing.

Theo’s weight was heavy, so progress was slow. Millicent tried to walk faster, but Theo was like a wax figure; human size and weight, but a total dead weight. Then, Millicent’s fear proved to by justified. From behind a streetlight came three strangers, all dressed in black and armed with baseball bats.  _ Muggles,  _ Millicent thought. “’Allo sweetheart,” the leader of the group sneered menacingly. “Fine night tonight, ain’t it?”  The question was innocent enough, but the tone behind the question shook Millicent to the core.

Theo felt Milli tense up beside him. In a daze, he lifted his head and saw the men there intimidating her.  _ No one frightens Milli.  _ She was doing her best to keep a distance between them, but they kept advancing. “Bit of a dead weight you got there, darlin’,” said one of them with a soulless laugh, “want us to take him off your ‘ands?” Millicent clung tighter to Theo, wishing right now that he could be the strong man she had fallen in love with, wishing he could protect her. But he couldn’t, and she didn’t have her wand. Defending herself was no longer an option.

Theo let go of Milli. She would be stronger without him, better able to fight back. The men advanced towards her and grabbed her forcefully. Millicent remembered Theo had grabbed her arm the previous night. That had not felt like this. This felt dangerous. She felt their hands touch her in places that only Theo had touched her; then, it had been pleasurable, now, it was just painful. She shuddered in disgust and fear. She struggled, scratching and biting the men, but they just laughed loudly and taunted her. Feeling to weak and frightened to struggle, she had begun to give up, until she heard a shaky voice from behind her.

“ _ Stupefy!”  _ A bright red light streamed from the end of Theo’s wand and hit one of the thugs squarely in the middle of the chest. Screams erupted from the other two conspirators as they saw their leader thrown violently against the lamp post. They turned on their heels and ran. Millicent stood shaking in the middle of the road, her hair pulled down, clothes torn in places and sobbing. Theo took her in his arms and held her tightly. This was the man she loved. And for right now, she could forgive the smell of alcohol and the slurred words. She had always tried to save him, and now he had saved her.

“Milli. I need help. Do you hear me?  _ I need help. _ ” Theo’s words were whispered into her hair as he clutched her to his chest. “I don’t want to drink anymore, Milli. I want to protect you. I want to love you.  _ I want you. _ ” 

Millicent closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, savouring the feelings of warmth and safety. Finally, the words she had wanted to hear. “Theo, I’m not going to take you back yet. They’re just words.”

Theo nodded and put a hand gently to her face. “I know, Milli; but I’ll prove it to you. I will beat this for you.  _ I will beat this for us. _ ” And with those words, he pressed his lips to her forehead and held her.

Millicent knew he meant it this time. He wanted her back. She desperately wanted him back. She looked up at him, a smile on her face and her eyes glistening with tears. “Get help then, Theo. And however long it takes, I will wait. I will always wait for you. I love you.” She pulled away from him reluctantly and turned to leave. Theo grasped her hand. “The waiting game then, Milli?

Millicent nodded. “Yes. The waiting game.”


End file.
